1pc voter signature requirement for independent candidates unreasonable: Badiul Alam

Unnecessary cancellation of candidacies of those who wish to contest elections creates obstacles to making elections participatory and acceptable, Citizens for Good Governance's (SHUJAN) secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said on Monday.

Stating that a large portion of the candidates whose nominations have been cancelled are independents, the civil society member said, the requirement of signatures from 1 per cent of voters for independent candidates is unreasonable.

The SHUJAN secretary made these remarks at a dialogue titled “Aspirations of the Mass Uprising, Reforms and Election Manifestos” organised by SHUJAN’s Mymensingh district and metropolitan chapters at a restaurant in the New Market area of Mymensingh city on Monday morning.

SHUJAN representatives and citizen representatives from Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Mymensingh and Tangail participated in the event.

Responding to journalists’ questions, Badiul Alam Majumdar said, “On behalf of the electoral system reform commission, we had proposed that the requirement should be limited to the signatures of only 500 individuals and that these signatures be submitted through affidavits. Otherwise, as is currently practiced, 10 people are summoned, and in some cases there are allegations that the signatories are pressured. This creates room for manipulation. If the reform proposal we suggested had been incorporated into the RPO, there would have been no scope for such manoeuvring. Unfortunately, the election commission did not include it in the RPO.”

Regarding complaints from various parties about the current election and the conduct of the administration, the SHUJAN secretary said that since the election is being held under an interim government, it is hoped that the government and the election commission will ensure that the administration and law enforcement agencies perform their duties impartially.

Stressing the need for a democratic transition after the election, Badiul Alam said that several far-reaching reforms are required at this time—legal, institutional and structural reforms. Through these, democracy can be institutionalised and free and fair elections can be ensured every time. This is a long-term process, but it must begin with a free and fair election. To achieve this, political parties and civil society alike must play their roles.

When asked whether the current law and order situation is conducive to a fair election, the SHUJAN secretary said, “Due to widespread politicisation, many members of our law enforcement agencies fled in the post–mass uprising period. Officers as well as rank-and-file personnel fled. Rebuilding a collapsed institution takes time. A non-partisan government will ensure that the administration and law enforcement agencies properly carry out their responsibilities.”

The dialogue began around 10:45 am with the national anthem. Ten candidates from the Mymensingh-4 (Sadar) constituency were invited.

However, those present included Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Abu Wahab Akand, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Kamrul Ahsan, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis candidate Mostak Ahmed, Ganosamhati Andolan candidate Mostafizur Rahman, Bangladesh Supreme Party candidate Liyakat Ali, and Communist Party candidate Emdadul Haque.

Representatives of the civil society participating in the dialogue highlighted various issues, including employment generation to tackle unemployment, easing traffic congestion in Mymensingh city, cultural development, stopping bribery, corruption and harassment, expanding city roads, increasing playgrounds, planned urbanisation, creating a women-friendly environment, and breaking syndicates in the agricultural sector.

They also shared candidates’ positions on holding a referendum. In response, the participating candidates promised solutions if elected and pledged to include these issues in their election manifestos.

Jamaat candidate Kamrul Ahsan said, “Politics has been ruined due to bureaucracy. I will not engage in corruption myself, and the administration that engages in corruption will not be given any indulgence either. A movement must be built against the corrupt. Ahead of the election, I'm witnessing duplicity in the behaviour of the administration. If anyone comes to power through any mechanism, we know how to bring about their downfall. If elected, I will expand roads, break agricultural syndicates, work to reduce traffic congestion, and cultural development will not be interfered with.”

BNP candidate Abu Wahab Akand said that the Sadar constituency has been neglected in many ways. No development has taken place there over the past 17 years.

If elected, he said, efforts would be made to improve the quality of education, with plans to establish a new full-fledged university. Roads and the power supply system would also be improved.

SHUJAN’s district unit president Mizanur Rahman delivered the welcome address.

Moderated by district SHUJAN secretary Yazdani Quraishi and city SHUJAN secretary Ali Yusuf, and presided over by city SHUJAN president Shibbir Ahmed Liton, leaders of various political parties and representatives of civil society shared their expectations at the event.